Asako Oyo
Asako Oyo was born in the late tenth century, and was something of a very unique enigma, even among the especially enigmatic Asako Henshin. He managed to teach himself the Path of Man, even continuing in his advancements after being cut off from new learning by his sensei. Oyo strayed into a powerful but corrupted path that took control over his life for more than a hundred years. With the new developments among the Henshin, Oyo had finally been placed back on the true Path. He lived in seclusion in the Asako family lands, peacefully biding his time. Early life Birth and youth Asako Oyo was born in the year 980 to one of the secluded Asako family librarians sequestered in Gisei Toshi. His mother died giving birth, so he was raised by the community of Asako within the library. As could be imagined about a boy raised in a library, he came to love knowledge, devouring all that he could of the endless supply of dusty scrolls surrounding him. Despite his eagerness, he also felt there was something he was missing, and his teachers would often notice him staring out of the windows of the library with a sad look in his eyes. It was decided that Oyo would train with the Henshin. Because none of the Asako living there were allowed to leave the library before their retirements, Oyo's caretakers had to smuggle him out of the city. Once safely outside, Oyo found himself with some food and a map to Shiro Asako. Way of the Phoenix, p. 89 Training Oyo found his way to Shiro Asako and was admitted into the Asako Henshin Academy. As always, his mind was incredible, far more so than his classmates. Oyo had a knack of becoming further along in the lessons than he should have been, puzzling out for himself the secrets of the lessons coming in the next week. What would take ordinary students years of research to understand, Oyo would often figure out himself in days or less. His sensei were quite impressed, even overwhelmed with his abilities. Way of the Phoenix, pp. 89-90 The error of the Henshin Unflustered by Oyo's rapid progress, his teachers decided to merely let him be, believing that he would reach a point where the complexities of their lessons would catch up with his keen intellect, and he would fall into place, learning with his classmates. When Oyo mastered the fourth Mystery, his teachers realized how wrong they had been. Oyo was simply developing too quickly. There was no precedent for anyone developing that quickly, and the Fushihai had serious concerns about what would happen to Oyo, walking the Path of Man prematurely. If he was not absolutely ready and the conditions were not exactly what they should be, they truly feared for what would happen to him. Oyo was taken out of his studies and assigned to the Michibiku, in hopes that without access to further studies, he would have time to acclimate himself to what he had already learned. Way of the Phoenix, pp. 90-91 The Immortal Henshin Time among the Michibiku Oyo spent twenty years wandering Rokugan with the Michibiku. In that time, he only proved that the Fushihai were even more mistaken than they had originally believed. During his travels, his mind never stopped racing. He found himself connecting the things he learned in his journeys to the theories his amazing intellect was developing. He was never called back to Shiro Asako, but that did nothing to stop his advance on the Path. A few years before he was to reenter the seclusion of Gisei Toshi, taking his place as a replacement for one of the librarians there, his mind finally deduced its greatest mystery. Oyo discovered the Mystery of Fate. He deduced that the final step was merely a continuation of the others, and because of that, no formal training was required for him to reach that final step. On his own, with no help or guidance from his family, Asako Oyo joined the Fushihai. Oyo suddenly found himself far more torn and confused than he ever had been before. He could see infinite new horizons stretching before him, and he was completely overwhelmed. He knew that he had been driven to that point for a reason, but he could not grasp the reason. For the first time, Asako Oyo could not figure out the next step. Way of the Phoenix, p. 91 Return to the Fushihai Oyo returned to Shiro Asako, demanding to see the Henshin Masters. Quickly studying Oyo, the Masters finally learned the true extent of their mistakes. They had not stifled his learning, but merely abandoned him to discover their secrets for himself. Oyo had strayed from the true Path and had become lost in the corruption beyond. For thirty years, the Masters attempted to correct their mistakes. Through regimens of trances, meditation, and thorough mystic examination, the Masters eventually managed to bring Oyo's soul back to the true path, but he had been forever scarred by the process. He experienced great pains, one of his eyes had gone dead and white, and he would spend weeks at a time shivering from the nightmares he had seen beyond the veil. But the worst times were when Oyo was coherent. On those days, Oyo claimed to have seen the future, and it was a bleak array of war and darkness, with Fu Leng himself returning to Rokugan. Though Oyo was severely disturbed and manic, the Fushihai were determined to bring him completely back to the light. He was their biggest mistake ever, and they would not forget that. Also, they were determined to prove that even the most disturbed soul could be rescued. If they could lead Oyo back and into apotheosis, then they would know that their studies of the Path were exactly what they should be. The next century For nearly a century, the Fushihai guided the progress of Asako Oyo. They spent that time constantly suppressing the corruption of his strayed path and helping him to his final goal. Over the decades, Oyo became more coherent and spoke less and less about his dark visions, though none could say whether it was because he had stopped having visions or he simply stopped speaking of them. In truth, Oyo was having fewer visions, but they had not stopped, and in fact, they were becoming more powerful, as if the time he was foreseeing was approaching. The wandering Asako Oyo's visions kept gaining intensity until everything finally came to a head. In 1120, he escaped from his Asako caretakers. Staying clear of the Asako searching for him, he spent several years wandering Rokugan. His mind slipped completely out of reality, and his unique abilities kept him jumping from the present to living literally several minutes ahead of reality. The Henshin never managed to find him, and he spent his time warning anyone who would listen against the Asako. He knew what laid ahead, and he knew that the Henshin were not ready. Spell Seeker Oyo believed that it was the rest of his family that were on a false path and that only by fleeing Phoenix lands could he find others who would understand. He fled as far as the Crab lands seeking allies to aid him in bringing his Asako brethren to sanity, visiting temples and leaving them after raving mindlessly for several days. After some time, the Crab magistrates who told tales of him began to refer to Oyo as the "Spell Seeker". Secrets of the Phoenix, pp. 90-91 Kuni Nakiro Oyo, who suffered from many wounds and ailments, was found by Kuni Nakiro, a scholar who was studying with the Phoenix, sent by his mentor the Kuni Daimyo Kuni Yori. Nakiro took Oyo in and nursed him back to health. Eventually he realized that the lunatic ramblings of the man were in fact the secrets of the mysterious Asako Henshin the learning of which had unhinged and destroyed his mind. Nakiro presented Oyo to Yori. Winter Court:Kyuden Asako, p. 79 Kuni Yori Asako Oyo found someone more than willing to listen in the person of Yori, who took in the maddened Asako, and in his state, Oyo was none the wiser to the dark Crab's machinations. Yori, already bowing to the will of Fu Leng, in 1126 during the Imperial Winter Court at Kyuden Asako, used Oyo as a pawn to drive a wedge between the three families of the Phoenix Clan, to keep them occupied during the Clan War. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 19 Oyo was eventually put into custody of the Master of Fire Isawa Tsuke, ordered by Shiba Ujimitsu, despite the beggings of the Asako Daimyo, Asako Togama. Winter Court:Kyuden Asako, p. 50 Though his scheme was largely successful, it did manage to return Oyo to the care of the Asako. Life after Yori Since his return Oyo was secluded in a secret chamber in the Tower of the Henshin, in the area known as the Well of Enlightenment. He was both loved and feared, spouting gibberish and prophecy in a mix that no one could untangle. He had not aged a day since his arrival. Bloodspeakers, p. 94 Back to Sanity Faked Death Oyo reportedly died shortly after Asako Isamu reached the great insight that placed the Asako back onto the Path of Man. Only Isamu witnessed the older Asako's death and did not speak of the matter before his own disappearance. It was a faked death, as Oyo had neglected to die after the Asako's experiments were over. The final step of the henshin's work pulled Oyo from the False Path and once again onto the Path of Man, and helped the entire family enter a new phase of their studies. Though Oyo was forever scarred by the insanity that gripped him, he was once again much the wise and peaceful monk he had been before. Secrets of the Phoenix, p. 33 Retirement Oyo's death was announced to the Empire to prevent others seeking to exploit him as Yori once did, and the immortal henshin retired to the forest near his own shrine, Oyo Seido. Most think he was just a simple hermit, and even among Asako, few knew the truth. He revealed his existence only to Asako Toshi and a handful of others. The two men became close friends since Oyo regained his sanity. He was still plagued by nightmares and occasional lapses into confusion. Legacy The knowledge of Oyo was recorded in the Lessons of Oyo. Asako Karachu (Forgotten Legacy flavor) See also * Asako Oyo/Meta * Asako Oyo/CW Meta External Links * Asako Oyo (Forbidden Knowledge] Category: Phoenix Clan Members